ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

The White House lawn on a sunny day.
Feature: Is DOGE Sure It Wants to Fire These People?

Juliette Kayyem examines the negative effects that Elon Musks’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have on the safety of everyday Americans.

River running through a densely populated area.
Feature: Private Benefits from Public Investment in Climate Resilience

Joseph Aldy finds that governmental construction of levees, which enhance resilience to flood risks amplified by climate change, increases home values by 3-4 percent.

Person sits on a bed holding a check.
Feature: Assessing Government Outreach to Bolster Benefits Take-Up

Elizabeth Linos finds that light-touch interventions significantly, consistently, and cost-effectively increase benefits take-up among low-income households, while higher-touch proactive outreach yields minimal additional take-up.

Black family happily sits on the grass in a park.
Feature: Excess Mortality Rate in U.S. Black Children Since 1950

Soroush Saghafian finds that 5 million excess deaths of Black Americans, including over 500,000 infants, could have been avoided over the past 70 years if their mortality rates were equal to those of White Americans.

Harvard Kennedy School faculty disseminate their research in working publications and papers that contribute to public knowledge and fuel policy innovation. This list features recent faculty publications, including journal articles, books, edited volumes, research papers, and public testimony.

Faculty Publications

Strategic Sorting: The Role of Ordeals in Health Care

Zeckhauser, Richard. "Strategic Sorting: The Role of Ordeals in Health Care." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP19-023, June 2019.

Sunlight and Protection Against Influenza

Slusky, David J. G., and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Sunlight and Protection Against Influenza." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP18-007, February 2018.

Excess Prices for Drugs in Medicare: Diagnosis and Prescription

Frank, Richard G., and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Excess Prices for Drugs in Medicare: Diagnosis and Prescription." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP18-005, January 2018.

Enrollee Outcomes After Health Insurance Plan Terminations: A Diagnosis of Default Effects

Sinaiko, Anna, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Enrollee Outcomes After Health Insurance Plan Terminations: A Diagnosis of Default Effects." Behavioural Public Policy 2.1 (2018): 56-77.

High-Priced Drugs in Medicare Part D: Diagnosis and Potential Prescription

Frank, Richard G., and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "High-Priced Drugs in Medicare Part D: Diagnosis and Potential Prescription." January 2018.

Enrollee Choices After Their Health Plans Are Terminated: Default Effects Versus Persistent Preferences

Sinaiko, Anna, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Enrollee Choices After Their Health Plans Are Terminated: Default Effects Versus Persistent Preferences." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP16-055, December 2016.

Forced to Choose, Again: The Effects of Defaults on Individuals in Terminated Health Plans

Sinaiko, Anna D., and Richard Zeckhauser. "Forced to Choose, Again: The Effects of Defaults on Individuals in Terminated Health Plans." Nudging Health: Health Law and Behavioral Economics. Ed. Cohen, I. Glenn, Holly Fernandez Lynch, and Christopher T. Robertson. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016, 326-338.

Medicare Advantage: What Explains Its Robust Health?

Sinaiko, Anna D., and Richard Zeckhauser. "Medicare Advantage: What Explains Its Robust Health?" American Journal of Managed Care 21.11 (November 2015): 804-806.

Second Trimester Sunlight and Asthma: Evidence from Two Independent Studies

Wernerfelt, Nils, David Slusky, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Second Trimester Sunlight and Asthma: Evidence from Two Independent Studies." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP14-050, October 2014.

Regulating Ambiguous Risks: The Less than Rational Regulation of Pharmaceuticals

Viscusi, W. Kip, and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Regulating Ambiguous Risks: The Less than Rational Regulation of Pharmaceuticals." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP14-005, February 2014 (Revised January 2015).

Understanding Movement Across Health Plans

Cutler, David, Bryan Lincoln, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Understanding Movement Across Health Plans." Journal of Health Economics 29.6 (December 2010): 821-838.

Health Insurance Exchanges — Making the Markets Work

Frank, Richard G., and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Health Insurance Exchanges — Making the Markets Work." New England Journal of Medicine 361 (September 2009): 1135-1137.

Generic Script Share and the Price of Brand-Name Drugs: The Role of Consumer Choice

Rizzo, John, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Generic Script Share and the Price of Brand-Name Drugs: The Role of Consumer Choice." International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics 9.3 (September 2009): 291-316.

Selection Stories: Understanding Movement Across Health Plans

Cutler, David, Bryan Lincoln, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Selection Stories: Understanding Movement Across Health Plans." ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP09-022, July 2009.

Selection Stories: Understanding Movement Across Health Plans

Cutler, David M., Bryan Lincoln, and Richard J. Zeckhauser. "Selection Stories: Understanding Movement Across Health Plans." NBER Working Papers 15164, July 2009.